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I’v alkd a lo abou his ovr h yars, and in my book
Remagnng Church:Pursung he Dream of Organc Chriant 
, bu wha I hink popl on wanar pracical xampls o his—o h dirnc ben an organic church andan organizaional church. Hr I would lik o brak down som ky disincionsben a church ha opras according o is organic naur and insincs (a la,“an organic xprssion o h church”) and a church ha opras primarily as aninsiuional organizaion (a la, an “insiuional” or “organizd” church).Bor w plung ino h dirncs, l m poin ou ha h rm “organicchurch” is in vogu righ now.In his rgard, i’s popular or any and all dirn ps o churchs o us hisrm o dscrib hmslvs. I’s no dissimilar o h rm “missional church.” Boh“missional” and “organic” ar clay words. Ty ar bing shapd by dirn wrirsin dirn ways. Somims vry dirn ways.All old, h xprinc o h Body o Chris is organic. Ta is, i springs omli ... God’s li, rahr han by human organizaional mhods.Clarly, h church w rad abou in h Nw samn was “organic.” Tais, i was born om and susaind by spiriual li insad o consrucd by humaninsiuions. o us an illusraion, a lab-crad orang would no b organic. Bui I pland an orang sed ino h ground and i producd an orang re, h re would b organic.o pu i gnrally, h dirnc ben an organizd church and an organicchurch is h dirnc ben sanding in on o a an and sanding oudoors ona windy day. I’s h dirnc ben Gnral Moors and a vgabl gardn.
Countless evangelical and mainline churches have thefollowing sentence in their mission statements, “Thechurch is an organism, not an organization,” or words to
that efect. But what does that mean exactly, and what
does a church that both believes and practices “church asorganism” look like?
By frank viola
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IsolatIng the DIfferences
Gting mor spcic, l’s isola som o h main dirncs ben an organic xprssiono h church and an organizd (or insiuional) orm o h Church:
towarD the experIence of organIc church lIfe
L’s look mor deply a h organic naur o h Church.All li orms hav a DNA—a gnic cod. DNA givs ach li orm a spcicxprssion. For xampl, h insrucions o build your physical body ar ncodd in your DNA. Your DNA largly drmins your physical and psychological rais.Sinc h church is organic, i oo has a DNA—a spiriual DNA. Whr do wdiscovr h DNA o h church? I submi ha w can larn a gra dal abou i by looking ino God Himsl.W Chrisians uniquly proclaim a riun God. In h words o h AhanasianCred, “T Fahr is God, h Son is God, and h Holy Spiri is God, y hr arno hre gods, bu on God.”T Godhad is a Communi o hre, or a “rini.”T Scripurs porray h muliacd rlaionship o Fahr, Son and Spiriin h richs and deps languag imaginabl. Wihin h riun God w discovrauhnic communi—an rnal, complmnary and rciprocal inrchang o divin li, divin lov and divin llowship.Amazingly, his sam rlaionship has ben ransposd om h divin ky inoh human ky. I has movd om h rnal God in h havnlis o h churchon arh, h Body o Chris.A common qusion I g askd is, “Sur, h church is organic, bu i mus havorganizaion righ?”My rspons is ha his is h wrong qusion. Evry li orm has an xprssion
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T orm o h church prcds h li o h church. Tus, h church bgins wihclrgy, sa, programs, riuals, c.
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Susaind by a prossional clrgy or minisr.
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T clrgy seks o nrgiz h lait.
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Limi many spiriual uncions o hordaind.
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Rndr h bulk o hir congrgans passivduring church srvics.
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Mmbrs associa church wih a building, adnominaion, or a rligious srvic (Sunday morning tpically).
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Unid around a shard s o cusomsor docrins.
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Susaind by programs.
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Ned nancs o surviv— hir main cossar building ovrhad and clrgy/sa salaris
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Ladrship is hirarchical.
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Dcisions ar mad by h clrgy or aspcially lcd “board.”
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T pasor is h ladr and minisr o h church.
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T orm o h church ollows h li o hchurch—jus as h orm o h human body springs ou o h li o h human.
+ 
Tr’s no clrgy or prossional minisr.
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Don’ rcogniz a spara class (lait).
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Rcogniz all mmbrs as acing priss.
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Allow and ncourag all Chrisians ouncion in h meings o h church.
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Arm ha popl do no go o church;hy (oghr) ar h church. Tis isn’bing “hologically corrc.” I’s hacual xprinc o h mmbrs
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Unid around Chris alon. Tr is noohr s o llowship.
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Susaind by rlaionships buil on JsusChris.
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Ar no dpndan on a building. Trar no clrgy salaris. Rsourcs ar spnon “h poor among you” and xra local work.
+ L
adrship coms om h nir body.Church planrs quip h church in hbginning, ldrs (whn hy mrg)ovrse h church oghr.
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Dcisions ar mad corporaly by consnsus.
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Shphrds ar plural. Ty ar a gidpopl who car or h fock.
+ Tr’s a srong ocus on andanc osrvics, mainaining h building, andincrasing h budg. Wha Dallas Willard callsh ABCs (andanc, buildings, cash)+ T church dos ssnially h sam hing wek ar wek, monh ar monh, yar ar yar. I’s lockd ino a riual.+ Gis ar viwd as ofcs, and popl ar puino hos ofcs a h vry bginning.+ I’s tpical or mmbrs no o know onanohr vry wll, only seing ach ohr a wekly church srvics.+ T ocus is on pursuing Jsus Chriscorporaly in ac-o-ac communit.Evryhing ls springs ou o ha .+ T church passs hrough sasons. I is nolockd ino a riual.+ Gis ar no sen as ofcs, bu asuncions. Ty mrg naurally andorganically ovr im. Ty com up ou o h soil, and ar tpically no ild.+ Tr’s a clos-kni communit. Mmbrsar lik amily o on anohr. Ty liv ashard li in Chris.
organIZeD churches organIZeD churchesorganIc churches organIc churches
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